Xtine: As always, thank you. Meany! You know I was very busy. Not that I'm not now too… Meh. And I know you would have woken him up. Because you're mean. And the only time you appreciate the need for sleep is when it's your own! Hee hee. I love you, don't hurt me.
Yaeko: Yeah, I think it was. Poor Heero has never been so shocked. Or Duo either, I think; it was a surprise even to him that he let those words tumble out of his mouth…
Charlie00: How else would Heero get into a crash during peacetime, eh? Glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy this last part as much as the rest.
Yamino Tora: Wow. Thanks for the super nice review. I'm glad you didn't pass up reading this either. I hope the ending lives up to your expectations…
Prozacfairy: Well, it's kind of happy. It's not sad. And they don't die. So that would make it on the happier end of the scale, right? I hope the ending doesn't disappoint.
Crysania Fay: Lucky. I still have I don't know how many years left… Icky. Hope this hasn't been too long a wait for you.
Computer Geek Michelle: Good thing you don't mind short, because that's about all I can write… He he… Umm, yeah…
Chibi-kyosuki: I'm happy you liked it. Thanks so much for the review. And I'm sorry, I kind of fibbed. I know I said it would be up last night, but my brain was so dead I really couldn't make myself do anything. But here it is!
Part 5: The End and the Beginning
Duo stepped out of the garishly lit hospital lobby and into the darkness of an L2 street at night. He had a lot that needed to be thought over, so he wandered, letting his feet take him wherever they wished. Time ceased to matter, the only sign of its passage the number of streetlights Duo's steady pace took him under. They glared down at him, judging past transgressions.
It wasn't until his normally sure step faltered on loose gravel that Duo became aware of his surroundings.
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Heero slowed as he rounded the corner, careful to stay hidden in the dense shadows cast by the crumbling remains of the long-ago destroyed stone church. Light from a nearby streetlamp fell in an array of colours as it passed through the cracked and only stained glass window left to restless spirits.
Although the place had the appearance of having been destroyed long ago, the scents of dust and ash still mingled in the air, as though the disaster had occurred yesterday. It caused Heero's nose to wrinkle in distaste. He made sure to lift his feet completely so he didn't jar any loose rubble, ears attuned to each sound that broke the heavy silence stalking the ruins.
Heero stopped under a devastated archway, not wanting to disturb the thoughts of his braided baka, who (Heero was pretty sure) had no idea he had been followed.
Bathed in an eerie glow of crimson and violet light, Duo sat on a pile of fallen stones that had once made up the now caved-in ceiling of the church, one leg pulled up so he could rest his chin on it, the other dangling idly over a fallen beam. He fumbled with a small cross that was hanging around his neck, alternately twirling it absently between his fingers or sliding it up and down its chain. His loose hair tumbled, forgotten, down his back.
"Well, Father Maxwell, Sister Helen, it's been a while, hasn't it? I was in the neighbourhood visiting a rather stupid friend of mine, so I figured I'd stop by. Say hi to all the kiddies for me."
Duo was cut off as a sudden gust of wind blew his hair in all directions. He laughed as he spat a few strands out of his mouth and tossed the whole mass over his shoulders. "You know, Sister, I usually do keep it up in that braid of yours," he promised as he reached behind him, hands working swiftly from long practice. "Honest." He reached for his wrist. "Shit," he winced, suddenly very conscious of the fact that he was talking to a priest and a nun. "Sorry." He shrugged. "I forgot my hair tie in Heero's room." Heero allowed himself a small smile at Duo's contrition, but it faded slowly as Duo slipped into a restive and thoughtful silence, his fingers never stopping their worried fiddling.
Suddenly angry, Duo clutched the small cross in his fist, its fine edges digging painfully into the palm and fingers clutched tightly around it. "245 people, Sister," he mumbled, seemingly exhausted, all traces of anger gone as quickly as they had come. The cross dangled, forgotten, from his neck. Heero had to creep closer to be able to hear Duo's next words. "245 people died here nine years ago. How many others died during the war? How many did we alone kill? Countless." He shook his head, teeth worrying his lower lip. "Too many."
Duo let out a long shuddering sigh. He fell silent, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "He was lucky enough to survive those years of hell. We're finally able to lead normal lives. Well, relatively normal, I guess. And what does he do? He decides he wants to waste that chance! How many people could it have been instead of him?" His hand brushed the crucifix resting against his chest. "I can think of at least 245, Father."
"It's a sin, ya know. Suicides are damned. You know it, I know it. Not that we aren't already…" A soft but bitter laugh escaped Duo's lips before trailing off. He shrugged and picked up where he had left off before that dark thought, "Hell, I'm pretty sure he knows it too. I just don't think he cares."
Duo fell silent again. He shifted uncomfortably, grimaced, and shifted again, then reached a hand under his thigh and pulled out a chunk of stone, all hard edges and corners. He glared at the offending piece of rubble before tossing it off to his side. Duo listened to the sounds of it skipping over other debris as he settled back down.
"He said no one would care. He couldn't be more wrong. All he had to do was look at that hospital; Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei all consider him one of their friends, and themselves one of his. And I… well, I love him. I honestly do. He's impossible, but I don't know what I'd do if I lost him. I was so scared today…"
The ensuing silence was a long one as Duo rubbed unshed tears out of his eyes and guilt grew inside Heero.
And suddenly Duo was laughing, a huge grin plastered on his face. "And Relena! Oh, would she ever care!" Heero barely repressed a shudder. "If Heero was gone, who would she stalk?" Duo paused, not laughing anymore, the grin replaced by a sneaky, calculating look. "Better not tell Heero that, hunh? He might off himself just to get rid of her!" Duo shrugged again. "Not that I can really blame him for it. The girl is annoying. And probably insane. Insanely annoying. Anyway," he pulled his leg further up so he could rest his chin on it again, "you get my drift – he has reasons to live. Maybe I survived here nine years ago because I was meant to knock some sense into that idiot." Words exhausted, Duo mulled his thoughts over in his mind, hand automatically drawn to his tiny cross.
Heero stepped over the piece of rubble Duo had thrown, which had rolled to a stop suspiciously close to him. His feet silently found holds as he made his way up to stand behind his fellow ex-pilot. Heero put his hand on Duo's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Heero let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding when the other boy covered his hand with his own, and twined their fingers together. Duo tugged gently on Heero's hand until he was sitting, then leaned up against him, closing his eyes. Heero wrapped his arms around Duo and sighed, deciding to follow his Duo's lead, closing his eyes as well.
Neither said anything, but they both knew, what they had now, it was enough.
The End!
It's done! I hope you guys all enjoyed. I have another couple of fics written, but they're all in the same boat as this one; desperately needing to be typed up and edited, so it's going to take me some time to get them up…